


Midnight Oil

by TuppingLiberty



Series: Tlib February Ficlet Challenge 2018 [2]
Category: PIERCE Tamora - Works, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: February Fic Challenge, Friendship, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 21:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13556127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TuppingLiberty/pseuds/TuppingLiberty
Summary: Feb. Ficlet Challenge day 2: Character B can't sleepKel is visiting Neal after the birth of his first child. Turns out, neither Kel nor the baby can sleep, but Neal has a favor to ask.





	Midnight Oil

**Author's Note:**

> One month. Twenty-eight prompts. Twenty-eight pairings. One ficlet a day. Write Fast.

Somewhere in the keep, Erika let out a squall, and Keladry of Mindelan smiled down at her records. She made a mark, renewed her ink, and made another. Scrunched her brow, squinted at the numbers, and blotted out the old mark. The Palace would likely grant her the higher request, if she asked. She continued down the line, updating inventories. 

“You couldn’t sleep?”

Kel looked up at the sound of Neal’s voice in surprise that she didn’t let show on her face. She’d been so caught up in numbers, she hadn’t even noticed that baby Erika’s cries had gotten closer and now, Neal was cradling the very sad little bundle in his arms. 

“Sounds like I’m not the only one,” she answered with a small smile. 

Neal eased into the rocking chair opposite Kel. “Well, hopefully that won’t be the case soon, for either of you.” 

She felt no small amount of pride, watching her oldest friend rock his first born child. He had a strange peace about him, that she had honestly never seen before. Especially, she laughed internally, in the months leading up to the birth, in which he’d been a nervous wreck and Yuki had almost banned him from Queenscove. As it was, she’d sent Neal to Kel for a solid two weeks. During that time, Kel had endured Neal’s pacing and worrying rather stoically, or so she thought. So she was glad of the peace on his face, now. 

“What woke you? Not Eri, I hope?”

“There’s always paperwork,” Kel replied with a shrug. 

Neal’s eyes were sly on hers. “Or Mama Kel doesn’t like being away from her chargelings.” 

In the five years since the end of the Scanran war, Kel had remained in charge of the border defense at the area of New Hope. It was now less a refugee camp, and more a home, an actual town. Her home, even. With her  _ friends, _ not just her chargelings, but she knew Neal didn’t mean it anyway. The residents were just as much lodged in his heart as hers, even though he’d been reassigned closer to Queenscove at the impending birth of his first child. And now, Kel had joined him here for the naming ceremony. 

Kel just shrugged and muttered,  _ “Meathead.” _ That always shut him up pretty quickly. 

The bundle that was Erika was mostly emitting sad little whimpers now as she was soothed back into sleep. 

“Still, I’m glad you’re up, because Yuki is mad that I haven’t asked you yet.” 

“Asked what?” She looked up from her numbers cautiously.  


“We’d like you to be Erika’s godmother.” 

_ “What?” _ Whatever Kel had been expecting, it wasn’t that. 

Neal shrugged delicately, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“I’m hardly qualified to be a  _ godmother.” _

“Why not? You’re fairly perfect, actually.” 

Kel arched a brow. 

“I can’t think of anyone I would rather ask to protect my daughter,” he said softly, defiantly. 

“When they say that, they mean protection in court! From ruin and so forth. You’ve seen me at court.”

“Eri might be our lady knight, Kel, don’t be so narrow minded.” 

Kel seriously considered sticking her tongue out at him for old time’s sake. 

“And even still, if she is, if she’s not - well, it doesn’t really matter, does it? I know you would fight to the ends of the world to protect her, if I asked. I’m asking.” 

When she closed her mouth, cutting off her protest, stunned, Neal grinned in victory. 

“I don’t know what to say,” she settled on eventually. 

“Do I really have to bring out the big weapons?” Neal shifted Erika in his arms. Her lashes were resting on her tear-wet cheeks; she was finally asleep. “Can you say no to this?” 

Kel looked at Erika, then back up at Neal, letting a small smile slip over her lips.  _ “You _ better learn to say no, papa, because no goddaughter of mine is going to be a spoiled brat.” She smirked. “Unless I’m doing the spoiling.” 

She cackled silently at the properly horrified look on Neal’s face. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


End file.
